Imo Police Arrest Nearly 3,000 Suspects in Sweeping Crackdown on Killers, Kidnappers, Terrorists, Child Traffickers

In a sweeping security crackdown across Imo State, the Police Command has arrested a staggering 2,785 suspects linked to heinous crimes including murder, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, and child trafficking. The large-scale operation, led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in collaboration with various tactical teams and police formations, marks one of the most extensive anti-crime efforts in recent state history.

The coordinated raids led to the rescue of 58 kidnapped victims and 42 trafficked children—many of whom have since been joyfully reunited with their families. Security operatives also seized a massive cache of deadly weapons and explosives, including two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), 14 AK-47 rifles, 20 pump-action guns, four fabricated rocket launchers, seven gas-cylinder explosives, locally made hand grenades, hundreds of live rounds, Biafran flags, and various criminal charms.

Among those arrested were notorious members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), including Amechi Onyebuchi (38), Ozioma Ihedoro (39), Cyprian Ikpegbunam (50), and Uchenna Opara (30). According to Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma, these individuals were behind several deadly attacks on security installations and public infrastructure in Njaba Local Government Area.

Acting on intelligence, police stormed an IPOB/ESN camp in Njaba, arresting key operatives and recovering high-grade weaponry. The suspects later confessed to the abduction and murder of Emmanuel Oguzie, allegedly on orders from a wanted ESN commander identified as Asari.

In a separate case, two suspected kidnappers—Uche Nwachukwu (24) and Chinonso Ozirim (32)—were arrested for abducting a man, Anayo Iwuoha, from his home in Akabo on June 20, 2025. The suspects held the victim hostage in Ozirim’s residence, collecting a ransom of N2.2 million before being tracked down and arrested by a joint police-vigilante operation.

Also captured was Wisdom Chinazaekpere Ogbonna (36), a suspected cultist from Orlu LGA and member of the Vikings Confraternity. Ogbonna had evaded arrest for two years following the brutal killing of a young man known as “Pikin,” who was mistakenly targeted as a rival cult member.

The Imo State Police Command emphasized that the operations will continue as part of an intensified effort to dismantle criminal networks and restore public safety across the state.